Rise of the Ninja Princess - Part I
Chapter I The Black Talon ninja shifted her weight impatiently, as she hid in the shadows of an alley next to a silk merchant shop. Across the cobbled street and almost a block away stood the house of Abasi, where her target was working. She shivered from the cool air, enjoying a slight breeze that blunted the heat of the scorching summer day. Hugging the alley wall she watched the comings and going of the house intently. Somewhere within the stone walls of the compound lay her unlikely target, Menkaura Haqikah, an officer of arms or 'Sereksant' in the language of the locals. It was an opulent mansion at three stories high and covering almost Sixty thousand sq feet; even by the standards of the inhabitants of Kahar Al-Shata, her adopted home, this was considered excessive. Covered with sunk-reliefs and coloured in stark reds and whites, the building was a monument to the power of the merchant elite. Unsurprisingly, the Abasi family came from a long and prestigious line of spice merchants whose influence was felt as far as the southern Gras-Loond imperial city Loondarum. Despite not being nobles, their wealth and standing held them in high esteem among the halls of the Kings court. The ninja noted that evening was only just setting in and as it was Moonday, many of the city's residents would be heading towards the temples for weekly prayer to seek guidance from the gods. The Sereksant she found, was like most of the citizens of Kahar Al-Shata and very devout follower of the lands gods. Her study of him for the mission revealed he worshiped Re-Imorakhty, the god of justice. Thinking of this reminded the woman of her own beliefs and she offered a silent prayer to the black fingered god, fickle as he was. Her thoughts drifted further as she kept vigil from the alley. Almost a day ago she had received a parchment from her father regarding the mission. She had been filled with excitement and apprehension that he had so formally acknowledged her; a year ago she had not even known he still existed nor that he was the head of the Black Talons. His writing was in the lettering of the Koppa-Shin people, beautiful and flowing, which belied the brief and almost cold message it contained; “''Ailis, you are now finally of age to fulfill your obligations to family and the clan. Failure to complete your responsibilities will forfeit your life.'' Unknown except to the Kings closest allies, six months ago some new records came to light that linked the Abasi to the royal line. These so called records were manufactured by my greatest scribes and are to ensure the Abasi line, who contain several of my spies, remains close to the Royal family. In accordance with the Great Law, the King investigated and the records were verified under strict guidelines. An official proclamation to join the Abasi with the royal family is to be made at the festival of Tem-Sek-Anu in a months time. However, a Sereksant named Menkaura, who had been researching the Abasi genealogical records for the King, is not convinced. He has plead with King Dju-waz Astennu to do one final review before the proclamation is to be made. With advice from his High Sereksant, it was decided there would be no harm in another look as the records had already been authenticated. '' ''Menkaura is receiving a parchment tomorrow evening that he believes will prove him right. Follow him, intercept and return the parchment to your mother, and ensure the Sereksant can no longer continue his investigation. I have enclosed with this parchment seven platinum coins, your mother has been instructed to give you a further seven on completion of your mission. Remember always your training and our cause. * General Haarken -''” Ailis again shivered in the alley, this time from the threat of what would happen to her if she failed her father or the clan; by all accounts a quick death was considered a mercy. All her life she had been instructed in the ways of the Ninja and the cause of the Black Talons. Her mother would tell Ailis stories of the betrayal her ancestors had faced at the hands of the Gras-Loond Empire. How a fleet of privateers had been left stranded in the foreign land of Koppa-Shin, during the first stage of the Kaayven invasion. In their desperation and anger they had sold their destinies to the god of murder, Norgober. For about one hundred and seventy years her people lived in and absorbed much of the Koppa-Shin culture, becoming notorious mercenaries and assassins, but they never forgot the oaths made to the black fingered god. Finally they were given a sign; only the highest level Talons knew of what it was and returned to Gras-Loond, where they found the Ebonvale. In almost another two hundred years the Black Talons, as they now called themselves, had grown and their particular skills found much use amongst the dissenting factions of the Empire. A fact the Black Talons were only too happy to exploit. Ailis had been raised in the twin cities of Kahar Al-Shata, an autonomous kingdom to the far west of the Gras-Loond Empire by her mother, a native of the lands. When she was ten she was sent to study at the prestigious Temple of Tem-Sek-Anu, goddess of knowledge and the patron deity of nobility. At first she had felt envy for her peers, none seemed to shoulder any great burden and lived carefree lives. Slowly though, with the stories her mother told ringing in her head, she grew to resent and hate them. On her seventeenth birthday, she had arrived home from the temple to discover a strange man talking with her mother. From his look she had guessed he was of Koppa-Shin and Gras-Loond heritage. He had long dark hair which he wore as a topknot and there was the faintest hint of facial hair. The man had piercing dark eyes which bore into her as she stood in the atrium of her home. Only a bit taller than her he was nonetheless an imposing figure. That day and the few that followed were a blur, as she learned the man was her father and head of the Black Talons. The man, General Nobuhiro Eida Haarken; Her father, told of her birthright to one day lead the Black Talons against the Gras-Loond Empire and avenge their ancestors. He explained that no one had known of her existence and that she had been kept ignorant of her parentage to protect her from his enemies. Now however, she would soon be of age and it was time to focus on her training to join him at his side. Ailis snapped out of her reverie as she realized the alley was getting darker and the street lanterns began to light up; powered by arcane forces they were a luxury in this part of the city. Searching the street she saw two figures a block away heading towards the temple district. Straining her eyes she realized that the right figure fit the description her mother had given of Menkaura; her mother was well connected within the Kings court and knew many of the officials personally, accompanying him was a shorter figure, most likely his Dwarven bodyguard Rahgunn. “Damn!” she silently fumed; he was further ahead than she had anticipated. Hesitating briefly to ensure no one was watching, she carefully melted out of the shadowy alley and began to follow. At four feet, eleven inches and weighing one hundred and fifteen pounds, the eighteen year olds small and light frame allowed her to move quickly and quietly across the cobbled street. On the opposite side of Ailis’s former lookout, two dark clad figures stepped out of the shadows and followed her at a distance. Chapter II The Sereksant Menkaura was nervous. A trickle of sweat beaded on his high forehead before dripping down the side of his face. His usual smile had turned to a grimace and his eyes darted quickly about, searching for threats in the darkened street. Walking closely with him was his families most trusted guard, a skilled warrior and deadly with almost any weapon. This may be the temple district, but walking the streets at night was still considered a danger to those without sufficient protection. Six months ago while investigating the Abasi claim to the royal line, he had come across a document that was clearly a forgery. When he approached the High Sereksant on the matter, he had been rebuffed and the document taken from him. With some further investigation he came to the conclusion there was a conspiracy of the highest level at work. Fearing that if he approached the King about his concerns without solid evidence he may be labeled a traitor, he instead plead to the King to allow him time to review the records as just a precaution before the proclamation. Surprised that the High Sereksant had advised the King to allow it, he at first thought his suspicions were false. Over the following weeks, he found some discrepancies but nothing that could convince the King that the records were fake. Truly he began to doubt himself until a week ago, when a strange Elven woman approached him in the markets and told him that she had heard of his qualms. She explained that she was a scribe who had been forced; her life threatened by an unknown person, to doctor some records to show the Abasi as related to the royal line. The woman went on to say that she could provide proof of the counterfeiting and would be willing to sell this evidence to him. Despite some concerns that it was a trick, he had decided to see if there was anything to it and over some haggling agreed to the price of ten platinum coins. They then agreed to meet a week from now in a private prayer room at the temple of Re-Imorakhty and parted ways. Menkaura now hoped that he had not played into an elaborate scheme to discredit his theory, or worse fall victim of an accident. Magical lamps illuminated the main street as he and his footman, the aging Dwarf soldier Rahgunn cautiously made their way towards the temple of Re-Imorakhty. Few people were left on the streets as most were now indoors at their respective temples praying. Every so often Rahgunn would cock his head as if listening to something just beyond Menkauras hearing. At other times he would stop them both and wait for a minute or two in silence, motioning to his charge to remain still and then shake his head and continue on. Chapter III Finnbarr and Nekhbet clung to the shadows, wrapped in the embrace of dusk. Ahead of them they followed Ailis who in turn followed Menkaura and his footman. The two were disciples of Taht-Kha, an ancient martial art order of elite warriors and guards for the royal family. In recent times they had become agents of the Black Talons, who had promised them greater rewards then a life as glorified babysitters. Although both had been born in Kahar Al-Shata, they came from very different backgrounds. Finnbarr Keegan was of southern Gras-Loond stock, his family hailing from the state of Gallacur. He was the youngest son of Baron Dagda Keegan, who had been sent to the west as an ambassador. With few responsibilities apart from Taht-Kha training, which his father had gained special permissions for his son to practice, Finnbarr often found himself in trouble with the city guards over minor disputes and altercations. These incidents always seemed to involve one street gang or another and him disagreeing over territories. Finnbarr frequently used his position to extort products from local merchants. When his Taht-Kha masters learned of his actions he was expelled from the order. However, soon after he was approached by the Black Talons do some leg work for them. They continued his training in the martial arts and within a few short years had become a promising asset to the organization. The half-elf Nekhbet on the other hand was destined to be a member of the Royal Harem. She was the daughter to the Elven Prefect of Theb-Khen and her marriage to King Dju-waz Astennu had been arranged from the day she was born. As the Great Law dictated on her sixteenth birthday she met with the King and they courted for nine months. After this time if either were not happy with the arrangement they were free to end the courtship and go their separate ways. At the appointed time Nekhbet and Dju-waz decided to follow through with the arrangement and were married within the month. The next thee years afforded Nekhbet the opportunity to study at the Temple of Tem-Sek-Anu and like all women in the Harem, learn the ancient art of Taht-Kha. She would not only be a wife to the King but a royal bodyguard to the Great Royal Wife Jamilla-Sakmet. Rising quickly in the ranks of the Harem, Nekhbet became very influential with the King and a talented martial artist. Jamilla, seeing this as a threat to her standing arranged for a rumor to circulate that Nekhbet had been plotting the death of the Kings son. When the inevitable investigation occurred, a eunuch claiming to be part of the conspiracy mysteriously vanished and the King was advised to execute Nekhbet. Dju-waz was torn between duty to the Kingdom and his affections for the woman Nekhbet. Despite the lack of evidence to support the rumor, the scandal had done its job and had brought doubt to the court. Though the King could not prove there was no conspiracy he was unable to bring himself to have her killed. Ultimately Dju-waz had her stripped of her family name, titles, worldly possessions, divorced her and had her sent to a monastery. There Nekhbet continued to train in Taht-Kha and vowed revenge on Jamilla-Sakmet. It was here that agents of the Black Talons found her and offered her that opportunity in return for her loyalty. Shortly after joining she met Finnbarr, a master of Taht-Kha and the two become friends and an exceptional team. Now the two martial artists were tasked with ensuring that Ailis did not screw up her mission. Neither were very good at blending in, but they had dressed themselves as priests of Nishgal, the god of death. Few people would take a second look at them for fear of bringing bad luck upon themselves, plus it allowed them to carry their chosen weapons the Crescent Scythe; being two crescent shaped blades on a typical scythe haft, which can separate into two smaller sickles in the middle of the staff. The only weapon used by both Taht-Kha practitioners and the Clergy of Nishgal. Chapter IV Finally, ahead of Menkaura stood the immense temple of Re-Imorakhty which also doubled at the cities court house. Here the High Priests would preside over matters of civil law and dispense judgment as voices of the King. Few buildings outside of the Great Palace could boast such impressive architectural achievements; great columns, statues, gardens and fountains made up the entrance to the glorious hall of Judgment. The walls of the temple were coloured in bright gold, sliver and blue; a stark contrast to the sandstone blocks used in its construction. Few people now lingered on the streets, most were in the temples making prayers to house, family and state gods. About them, the cool evening air brought the scented aromas of incense and burnt offerings. From within the nearby buildings, low chanting could be faintly heard and music carried upon the breeze. Menkaura and Rahgunn hesitated a few moments, looking about carefully before heading up the great stairs to the entrance of the temple. Inside the temple was greater still, great arches, marbled floors and impossibly high ceilings greeted them. The main foyer was mostly empty, a single stone table sat in the centre where a man and a woman sat pouring over several large tomes, scribes from the looks of them. To the left and right of them were spiral staircases that led to the upper level which contained to the right several offices and to the left, private rooms. Beyond the couple was the Hall of Judgment which led to the Court of Great Law and main temple, where most observants would be now; branching off the hall were paths to several smaller court rooms. Menkaura motioned to Rahgunn to follow him up the staircase to the left. The couple barely noticing their movements as they ascended the steps. Once at the top landing, Menkaura proceeded towards the agreed meeting place. Rahgunn took the lead, axe and shield at the ready for any treachery. After several moments they approached the door of the chosen private room, Rahgunn knocked gently with his axe and a woman's voice softly called for them to enter. The private room like most, was used primarily by people as a safe place to speak with their lawyers. Its door, walls, ceiling and flooring were made from materials that reduced sound traveling. A simple table, four chairs and a small shrine was all these rooms contained. As Menkaura peered into this room he recognized the woman from the market place, on the table next to her was a folio of documents. Menkaura began to enter into the room, when Rahgunns head snapped around and looked down the hallway. A barely audible hiss for silence escaped his lips and the old Dwarfs eyes narrowed, he visibly strained his senses for a moment. The seconds ticked by, but nothing happened. Finally he grumbled “I thought...I heard...something”, he shook his head and followed a very anxious looking Menkaura into the room. With a quick second look into the hallway, Rahgunn warily shut the door on them. Chapter V Raineth “the Sweet” Alalaen sat staring into the candles flame, the image burning her sight. Once, in what seemed another life, she had been an aspiring Bard. Her voice was heard in the highest courts of Gras-Loond, she had even been invited to the Koppa-Shin Empire to sing for their Emperor. Human and Elf adored her and her beauty had inspired a string of suitors across the known world. More than this she had been considered the finest actress in recorded history. She thought to herself the path that had led her to this room on this night and tear streaked down her face. Twenty years ago her life came crumbling down when, in an effort to improve her performances, she began taking the drug known colloquially as “Harlot Sweets”. Improving her natural charisma and bolstering her Bardic talents, the drug was well known amongst courtesans and the Aristocracy. Over time, like most drug users she found herself unable to cope without a regular dosage. Within a two year span she lost much of her wealth in pursuit of the drug, bribing officials to look away and anyone else that she required they remain silent. This was not all Raineth lost; its damage to her memory caused her to forget her lines in plays, her songs, even how to play the lute. The respect once garnered amongst her peers and the nobles she once mingled with was destroyed. With her own friends and family distancing themselves from the ensuing scandal, she found herself alone. With no money she resorted to begging and prostitution to earn enough to fund her habit, ultimately, like many in her situation she was taken advantage of and sold into slavery. To the rest of the world she had simply disappeared and was mostly forgotten about, another footnote in history. Over the next decade she was moved from whore house to whore house across Gras-Loond, her drug habit used against her to maintain compliance. It was around eight years ago that she came into the possession of a high ranking member of the Black Talons. He recognized her from when he was younger and had seen one of her more famous performances. Seeing in her a valuable asset, he began to detox her from the Harlot Sweets drug. To ensure that she would serve him and the Black Talons cause he forced her to become addicted to a more reliable drug; Elven Absinthe. Unlike Harlot Sweets, the absinthe did not affect her memory and in time it improved along with her bardic skills. However the more expensive and rarer Elven Absinthe which improved upon her natural charisma was much harsher on her constitution, causing her to appear sickly but more importantly indentured to the Black Talons. In the last few years Raineth worked hard to prove her value to the group, learning traditional Koppa-Shin performance culture and even training in the way of the Ninja. Now though, even as she waited in the private room at the Temple of Re-Imorakhty, her mind was fogging over. The years of drug abuse still occasionally affecting her memory. The knock on the door shook her back into reality and the fog lifted. She was here to provide some fake documents to a man named Menkaura, he was a sort of court scribe or some such she believed. Her Master had given a brief outline of her role a week ago only hours before she had to come across Menkaura in the city markets: ''“Tell him you are a scribe and you have heard he is having problems with the Abasi claim to the royal throne. Say to him you were forced by an unknown person to doctor these records and are willing to part with the evidence for a price. Arrange to meet at the first private room up the left staircase in the Temple of Re-Imorakhty, a week from today”. After her brief meeting with Menkaura, her master gave a more detailed briefing and some phoney documents to take with her to the meeting. Over the following week she studied Menkaura, tailing him as he went about his daily routine and getting to know him from a distance. Raineth also spent as much time rehearsing her role to ensure she would not be caught off guard by any “unusual” questions. Taking a drink of Elven Absinthe she kept in a small flask, she answered the door knock with a soft “Come in.” Chapter VI Ailis had made good time, taking some shortcuts, she managed to arrive at the temple only moments after Menkaura and his bodyguard. Stopping only to catch her breath she watched as they headed up the Temples front steps. Looking about, she saw no one else on the street and she quickly ducked into an alley. Removing her dark gray outfit, she brought out of the backpack she had been carrying and donned the robes of a Re-Imorakhty Cleric. She then drew her Wakizashi, a type of short sword used by the Koppa-Shin people and carefully coated it in the mysterious Black-Talon poison. The poisons origin is a closely guarded secret amongst the Black-Talons, even Ailis was not yet privy to this mystery. She was, however, well aware of its effects; causing instant unconsciousness in a victim from anywhere of one minute up to eight hours in some cases. As part of her early training she had to learn the proper application of poisons without harming oneself, several times she had knocked herself out with this very substance. Despite her training she still held her breath as she coated the sword in a sheen of the liquid. Placing the dark gray clothes and poison vial in the backpack, Ailis hid the pack in the alley. Her sword she hid beneath the large and flowing Cleric robes, which should make it hard for any observer to detect her form or the hidden weapon. Another quick look onto the street, showed no sign of life and without hesitation she smoothly melted out of the shadows and walked purposefully towards the Temple of Re-Imorakhty. Just as she was climbing the steps, a sound caught her attention and coming along the street were two clerics of the death god Nishgal. Quickly averting her eyes so as not to invoke any bad luck, she hurried into the temple without a second thought. Inside the temple, Ailis kept her head bowed and the deep hood covering her face. Her hands were folded in front, hidden within the robes long sleeves. Ignoring the two scribes sitting at a large stone table, Ailis headed to the staircase to her left and strained her senses to hear faint falls from above. As she turned to go up, the scribes noticed her and offered a blessing “Order in your court, Judge”, to which she quickly returned the blessing and headed up the steps. Suddenly Ailis felt herself falling, her foot had become caught in her robe and she tripped to her knees. A quiet “oompf” escaped her lips and she froze, fingers clenching her sword in readiness. The seconds dragged and all she could hear was the thumping of her heart. Focusing her senses on the top of the staircase that spiraled just out of view and the hall that led from it, no movement was detected. After almost a minute she heard some shuffling and then a door close down the hall. Breathing a sigh of relief she carefully stood up and moved to the top of the stairs. The hall was well lit and extended for almost one hundred feet, on either side she could see several doors and a number of halls branching off. “Damn”, she swore and silently thought “which door did you just go into?” Fifty feet down the hall Ailis spotted a small alcove with a bench and table. She presumed this was a common place for clerics to sit in meditation on their vows and would be a perfect spot for her to “lay in wait”, so to speak. Treading carefully so as to avoid tripping again she headed to the alcove and sat down. On the table was an opened book, seemingly a treatise on the short races of Halflings and Gnomes in Gras-Loond. No doubt written by the great Elven explorer Lord Nardhon Tatharphen, a quick look bore out her suspicion. Keeping one eye on the hallway, she skimmed a few pages of the book to pass the time. Most of it was general knowledge, much that even an orphaned child would have heard at some point. Few Gnomes and Halflings made their home in Kahar Al-Shata however and many citizens had never met one. Ailis herself had only met one gnome in her lifetime, she smiled as she thought of the eccentric gnome alchemist Lady Fhastina Halindy “Beestinger” Battlebrew. A professor at the Temple of Tem-Sek-Anu on loan from the Ciralian Wizard Council and personal assistant to Ailis's mother. Although not an official member of the Black Talons, Lady Beestinger was a willing collaborator and often made many strange elixirs for members of the organization. Out of the corner of Ailis's eye she caught some movement and two death priests of Nishgal came into view. Pretending to read, she tried to watch them carefully without risking any bad luck as they moved purposefully to the first door on the right of the hallway coming away from the stairs. Without looking around they quietly entered the room and noiselessly shut the door. She wondered as to whether they were the same two she saw outside the temple and then why they were here and not at their own temple. Chapter VII The two Taht-Kha practitioners, Finnbarr and Nekhbet had walked along the now quiet street in the open. Their costumes allowed them to hide in plain sight and they made full use of the advantage. Neither spoke, there was nothing that needed saying and it helped keep them in character of the foreboding death priests. Ahead they observed Menkaura and his body guard, occasionally they caught a glimpse of movement in an alley and knew that Ailis was close on the trail too. Walking slowly, they were not concerned about time but only to maintain sight of the Sereksant. Within a few minutes the Temple of Re-Imorakhty loomed in the distance. Slowing their pace even more they watched as the targets entered the building. In an alley not far away they could see Ailis barely visible in the shadows, get changed into the robes of a Cleric. Under normal circumstances, Nekhbet would have expected a lewd comment from Finnbarr at seeing the barely clothed young woman. However, she had to admit despite his arrogance and crassness when he was on a mission his focus was almost legendary. They saw Ailis emerge from the shadows and make her way towards the temple, pausing momentarily at the foot of the great steps to look about. Finnbarr was aware they had been spotted but he was unconcerned as Ailis quickly averted her gaze and hurried up the steps. The slightest flicker of a smile crossed his face but beneath the hood and shadows only he knew it was there. Finnbarr quickened his pace as soon as Ailis entered the temple and Nekhbet who was as short as he was tall, lengthened her stride to almost jog to keep up with him. In a minute they made it to and up the steps of the Temple, slowing down only as they passed through the entrance. Finnbarr and Nekhbet approached the two scribes who at first had not noticed their apparel. Only when Finnbarr spoke in his most heaviest and graveliest voice “Leave”, did they look up and their faces paled. Few argued with a death priest at the best of times and without a second thought the scribes fled out of the building and into the night. The Black Talons had bought themselves some time and few less witnesses at least. It was certain though that they would return in the next quarter hour with guards and perhaps a real death priest to discover what was going on. It would be interesting to see how Ailis would deal with this unknown factor at least, he thought. Heading up the left staircase they came into the hallway. Halfway down they spotted a Cleric of Re-Imorakhty and presumed it to be Ailis in her disguise. Already knowing the location of the meeting, they chose the door opposite and quietly entered the private room. Silently and methodically they drew from their backpacks a vial each of Black Talon poison and applied it quickly to each blade of their Crescent Scythes. Then, they carefully opened the door a crack to allow them to hear out into the hallway. Chapter VIII Rahgunn was certain they had been followed to the temple, his old Dwarven bones gave him the familiar ache before a battle. Now, sitting in the private room while Menkaura made his deal with the Elf woman the ache pulsed through him. Decades ago, when he was still just a youth deep in the Black Steel Mountains, he had felt the ache for the first time moments before a goblin raid on his families hold. Over the years he developed this ability and after joining the elite Dwarven military unit the “Hammers of Gerana” he used it to quickly rise through the ranks to Captain. Rahgunn surreptitiously touched his warhammer and uttered a silent prayer to the heroic god Gerana, for he was certain that battle was soon to commence. The ache was distracting and he only half heard the conversation between Menkaura and the Elf woman. She had introduced herself as “Raineth”, the name tugging at his mind and there was something oddly familiar about her but the ache would not let him think clearly. They discussed the terms of exchange and when he heard she had increased the price for these so called documents to prove Menkaura right, Rahgunn nearly spat. “Twenty platinum pieces?” he spoke through gritted teeth, “have you lost you mind Elf?”. Menkaura placed a hand on his shoulder and motioned for him to be still, the Sereksant did not look pleased with the Elf or Rahgunns outburst. “We already agreed to a price when we first met, ten platinums, why change it now?” Menkaura spoke. She argued the risk she was putting herself at and the haggling commenced. Rahgunn paid no mind to them as the talk of gold reminded him too much of home and the reasons he was now in servitude to the Haqikah family. The pulsing ache unfocused him and thoughts of the past came unbidden and unwelcome to his mind. In the darkest parts of minds eye he relived his shame and burden. Not long after becoming Captain, Rahgunn recalled, he had taken his unit through the deep tunnels of Black Steel Mountain on a mission to root out a Duergar hold. What they found was ruin and despair. Their ancient enemies were already dead, brutally slain and seemingly at their own hands. Only one was found alive, shaking in terror it begged for death refusing to answer any of their questions, he gave it its wish. Searching the hold they found an ancient chest filled with strangely minted gold coins. The units lorekeeper realized the print was that of the mythical Dwarven warrior maiden Ingrit Wyrmscourge, who fought the Great Wyrm Khorssa of Ash; The Queen of Ash. Seeing this great prize they shared the gold amongst them and headed back to their own hold. The journey back was full of jests and bravado that they so terrified the Duergar into doing their job for them. Even now Rahgunn still shivered and often lay awake at night, dreading the dark for be believed that the coins had been cursed. At first it was subtle, minor arguments and the such, but after several days words became, pushes, which in turn became fist fights and finally hammer against hammer. When the Stonelords; holy sentinels of the Dwarven holds found him, he was the last of his unit alive. Covered in their blood, surrounded by their bodies and standing guard over a great chest. The battle lust had left him and when the Stonelords opened the chest all they found were worthless stones. Rahgunn tried to explain himself but the Stonelords detected a corruption in his soul and judged him exile. A small reprieve due to his former loyalty and great deeds performed, however if he were to set foot in the tunnels of Black steel Mountains again his life would be forfeit. Stripped of his title and hold name he was banished and traveled across Gras-Loond seeking purpose in his life. His eyes misted thinking of what had come to pass and the people he had lost. Almost two decades ago he came to Kahar Al-Shata a lowly mercenary working the caravan routes. It was here that he met Menkauras father Rashida Haqikah. A high ranking official in the Merchants guild, he had come to the warehouse where Rahgunn was working to inspect some goods just brought in. Rahgunn had felt the familiar battle ache and reacted when a dark gray clad assailant who had a strange bladed weapon, appeared from seemingly no where and attempted to attack Rashida. Rahgunns quick reflexes saved the man and quickly dispatched the would be assassin. Afterwards Rashida offered him a permanent job as personal body guard to his family. Rahgunn eagerly accepted the role and saw a new purpose for himself in service of the Haqikah. The talking seemed to be coming to an end with Menkaura and Raneith renegotiating the documents price. A sudden thought came to Rahgunn and he turned to the Elven woman, “Raineth? Raineth Alalaen? The famous actress?” Raineth paled and she looked stunned, attempting to compose herself she half-smiled and stuttered “I...I'm sorry n...no, I think you have me confused with some one else.” She was lying, he was certain of it and the battle-ache worsened like nothing he had felt before. Turning to Menkaura he whispered “Come now Sereksant, I think we are in for a bloody night. Let us tarry no further with this nonsense.” Chapter IX Ailis straightened herself when the door opposite where the death priests had entered began to open. First out was the Dwarf bodyguard Rahgunn, his warhammer drawn, he looked about and his eyes fell upon her. She bowed lowed and pretended to go back to her book, she could feel his eyes linger on her and she held her breath waiting, but no cry for alarm came. She heard him speak gruffly to Menkaura to hurry and the Sereksant nervously appeared in the doorway. Ailis smiled, for finally she saw clearly her first target. “Gerana spit on your grave, exile! Kin-slayer and murder, my fathers life shall be avenged!!”, a gruff woman's voice echoed down the hall from the far end. All turned to see a Dwarven woman clad in golden armour and carrying a great warhammer begin to charge down the passage screaming her challenge. Rahgunns eye focused on the charging Dwarf, he recognized her as the daughter to his former lieutenant Harsk the Stone-Faced. The battle-ache was crippling and he knew that tonight he would die; with a roar he lifted his warhammer and charged towards Agna and his fate. Time seemed to slow as Ailis and Menkaura watched the two warriors clash loudly, causing them to blink. Suddenly Rahgunn was on the ground and Agna began to rain down hammer blows upon him. Rolling to the side Rahgunn stood up taking another strike to his side and he returned the favor with a devastating strike to her chest. Agna spluttered some blood and she swung her weapon down onto his head hard, from the hammer a shock of electricity blasted Rahgunn. He sank to his knees as she followed up her hit with another to his face, blood sprayed across the hall as Rahgunns head snapped to the side, his face shattered and fell backwards dead. Agna spat on his corpse, cursing him to the Dwarven hell Naldunnheim then turned and exited the hall as she had come in. Ailis smiled as her plan began to unfold. Chapter X Ailis had known that whatever happened tonight she had next to no chance against the Dwarf bodyguard and so she had sought out any weakness he might have. It did not take long to piece together his story, an almost legendary rise and fall known amongst the few Dwarfs who lived in Kahar Al-Shata. Fortune favored Ailis as she discovered the day before that the famous “Hammers of Gerana” were in the city, guarding a Dwarven diplomat here for the festival of Tem-Sek-Anu. She found the unit at one of the cities more respectable taverns and paid a few drunks to mention that Rahgunn was in the city. From the shadows she watched and noted the Dwarfs reactions. It was not hard to spot the anger on the Dwarven woman's face. Ailis then motioned for one of the serving girls to pass a message to the Dwarf, that she could “help” her find Rahgunn. The Dwarf was called Agna Stormhammer and she warily approached Ailis at her table. Ailis told Agna that she had heard the stories of Rahgunn and his crimes. She was saddened that such a dishonorable figure had been allowed to live on and when she learned the famous “Hammers of Gerana”, his former unit, were in the city she felt they should be told. Agna was no fool and asked why Ails would care so much about Dwarven affairs. The young ninja dodged the question and replied that if Agna was to find herself at the Temple of Re-Imorakhty shortly after dusk tomorrow night, she would find Rahgunn. Ailis got up to leave saying “be there or not it is your choice, I'm sure your ancestors will forgive you for letting Rahgunn go again.” She could see Agna simmer at that barb and knew she had hit a nerve. Chapter XI Ailis jumped out her seat to enact the next stage of her plan and running quickly towards Menkaura, screamed as if her life depended on.. Grabbing the Sereksant she exclaimed in a hurried and and panicked voice taht they should hide in a private room for their safety, until the Temple guards arrive. Menkaura could not even think, his thoughts and body had frozen from the unprovoked attack and death of Rahgunn. He was only dimly aware of a Priestess screaming and moving him into another private room. Menkauras survival instincts eventually kicked in and he did what he always did when stressed; do what he was told and so, he entered the private room. Menkauras mind began to work again and it went into overdrive. “Who was that Dwarven woman? Was she part of the conspiracy? Did the Elf have a part in this?Why had the Cleric sat by and watched the assault then run screaming? Were Clerics not schooled in divine powers and have martial train....” His thoughts cut short when he felt a stinging across his side and looking down saw blood. The cleric stood before him with a strange single edged short sword, dripping with his bodily fluids. His hands clutched the wound and dropped the documents he believed would prove his conspiracy theory true. Ailis stood in front of Menkaura as he fell to the floor, a look of surprise covered his face. Her body trembled with energy and her heart raced, this was her first kill. Remembering herself she quickly sheathed her sword and picked up the now bloodied documents. Rolling them up she slid them into her robe, carefully opened the door and peered into the hallway. Downstairs she could hear raised voices and the city guard announce themselves. She was curious as to how they could be here so quickly or know what had just occurred, but she did not linger on this as she heard one of the private room doors creak open. Without hesitation she began screaming and ran down the stairs, running into the city guards and a death priest. She wildly exclaimed and babbled a convoluted tale of the fight between the two Dwarfs, which ended in the death of one. Considering the presence of the death priest she silently figured they had something to do with the two she saw slip into the other private room. She added quickly to the story that she saw two death priests aide one of the Dwarfs. That did the trick as the guards and death priest ran up the steps at full pace with weapons drawn, leaving her alone. At the far end of the Hall of Judgment she could see people moving quickly towards the main foyer, she turned and walked out the front door then ran towards the alley. The two imposter death priests, Finnbarr and Nekhbet had watched all the events unfold before them through the slightly ajar door. Though the angle prevented them from seeing the Dwarfs fight, they heard it and silently approved of the distraction. It was too much of a coincidence to be anything but and it proved overly successful in ridding Ailis of a more powerful opponent. They watched as she ran screaming towards Menkaura and managed to usher him into another private room. Moments later Ailis exited the room to the sounds of a commotion downstairs and Nekhbet leaned on the door a little to hard to see what was happening when it creaked open. As Ailis screamed running down the stairs, the Black Talons realized it was time for them to leave. They would be giving high praise for Ailis's execution and that she was ready for the initiation rites. Their attention turned to the sound of yelling and running up the staircase. Flinging the door open they focused on their esoteric training of harnessing Ki or “life energy” they had learned the art of remaining unseen and became invisible. Seconds later the guards and death priest appeared at the top of the steps. Finnbarr and Nekhbet split up as they had earlier agreed, with her heading towards the front and him to the back of the Temple. Their Ki abilities only affored them a limited amount of time of invisibility, with less than a minute to go they left the hallway as the guards began kicking in doors and exited the Temple moments later. Raineth had not moved from her seat as she listened to the fight out in the hallway. She did not move when she heard the screaming woman convince Menkaura to enter another room for safety. Nor did she attempt to get up when she heard a door open and watched as a Cleric of Re-Imorakhty run screaming past her open door, she had simply frozen in fright. When she heard the sounds of the guards downstairs she knew that there was no where for her to go. Pulling a vial of Black Talon poison out of her belt pouch she poured it into her Elven Absinthe, she then threw the vial at the wall and watched it shatter. Raineth raised her bottle to her lips and drank deeply. Everything slowly began to get hazy and the room spun around her, finally she blacked out and slumped forward on the table as the guards ran up the stairs. Chapter XII The following morning the city was in an uproar. Guards patrolled the streets, more to show their presence than to actually investigate. Ailis had spent the night moving carefully through the streets to make sure no one was following her, before returning home as the sun rose. Expecting her mother to greet her, she was surprised to find her father waiting at the house. With him was a half-orc who was carrying several bags which she identified as her belongings. His voice commanded “It is time to leave for your real home, Ebonvale.” She began to protest and asked about her mother, cutting Ailis off he said “She is no longer necessary for your training. Harden what feelings you had for her, there is little room for such emotions as a Black Talon.” “Makoa!” her father said and the half-orc looked up, “take her things to the carriage please.” The half-orc grunted, clearly not enjoying the role of manservant and walked out of the building. Ailis's father took her by the arm and deftly maneuvered her outside “we must move quickly, there is a boat preparing to take us north and then west.” Ailis had little time to think or further protest as she was guided into the waiting carriage and taken to the docks. Inside her home, two figures dragged the bodies of Ailis's mother and her assistant Lady Beestinger downstairs. Finnbarr and Nekhbet huffed as they rolled the corpses up in rugs, outside they heard one carriage leave and another arrive shortly after. Looking out the front door they saw a Black Talon agent driving a wide flat wagon, with two other men he came into the house and helped load the rugged up bodies followed by the deceased's personal remains. Epilogue High Sereksant Arveldir Ilmon strode briskly into the Temple of Al-Soltep, the goddess of healing. Flanking him was his personal guard, Wild Elf mercenaries hand picked from the Scorpion Cult Lanirem. Temple initiates scuttled to get out of the way of the entourage and many fell to the floor kneeling before the Lord. The Temples head priestess Soltnofret approached him “My Lord, what noble endeavor brings you to my temple so early this morning?”Arveldir smiled, despite being more than two hundred years old his youthful Elven looks hid his age well “Blessings to Al-Soltep, I meant no disrespect with my unannounced entrance. I am here to see the woman found at the Hall of Judgment last night, is she well to be seen?”. Soltnofret bowed her head, turned and led the High Sereksant to the guarded room where the mysterious woman was being kept. As they walked the priestess spoke “My Lord, when the city guards found her she was unconscious and they brought her here with armed escort. We believe she was poisoned by one of the assailants during the evening. So far my best Alchemists are having difficulties identifying this poison...it...is strange, we shall know more when the Scions arrive to interrogate her.” High Sereksant Ilmon nodded his head and said “Perhaps I may be of some assistance, I shall have my personal physician overlook her care and recovery. More so I believe my Saer Uve will get more out of her than the Scions, place her in my custody and we will get to the bottom of this bloody business.” The Temple Priestess began to object when Arveldir pushed into her hands a heavy pouch saying “I understand the Temple has been having some 'tough' times of late, perhaps this tithe will help those repairs you have been requesting about”. Soltnofret looked about the Temple, it had indeed fallen into disrepair over the last few years. Few people who came here for healing had enough to pay the government sanctioned tithes and their coffers were tight. Reluctantly she grabbed the pouched, Arveldir Ilmon smiled and motioned for his guards to enter the room and take the Elven woman. Shivering, Soltnofret pitied the Elven woman and her misfortune of coming to the attention of the High Sereksant and his Saer Uve. She had heard stories of the fearsome interrogator and traitor hunter Rokalh. He came from the lands of Tiel-Lund across the Kalt-Get-Wasser ocean far to the west. Few if any 'traitor' lived after his interrogations. If it were not for his exceptional results, the King would have had him sent away years ago. Of course this wasn't the only dangers the woman faced, Arveldir himself was, if the rumors were true, a cold-blooded killer. Though she cared little for court gossip, with him she always felt a linger of doubt. Then there were his entourage that constantly surrounded Arveldir. An elite guard, they were more than just mercenaries but dangerous assassins from the wastes of the Tasmarctya desert where they worshiped the Scorpion god Al-Dahset, the Marauder King. No, there was very little hope for that poor woman she thought sadly. When Raineth Alalaen awoke she was tucked inside her own bed, still clothed in her dress from the previous evening. Looking about she saw standing at the doorway Daedhelil Battledusk, her personal Lanirem guard. The scorpion opened the door and whispered to someone on the other side, moments later High Sereksant Arveldir Ilmon entered. She smiled when she saw him and said “Good morning my master, how long have I been asleep?” Arveldir smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder “It is good to see you awake and well my love, are you comfortable?” he motioned to some food on the bedside table “I had some food sent up before, are you hungry?” Smiling in return Raineth told him she was fine but her head ached a little, he produced a bottle of Elven Absinthe “This might help you I think” and made her have a swig. “Now tell me my 'Sweet' can you tell me about last night? What happened?” Slowly Raineth recalled the events from the night and restrained herself from embellishing too much of the details. When she had finished, Arveldir sat next to her and held her face in his hands “You are my most prized possession, a diamond in the rough. The day I found you I thought that perhaps I had discovered a powerful tool for the Black Talons” his eyes narrowed as he spoke and darkness crossed his face “but last night showed me that you are too much of a liability, allowing yourself to be caught and almost interrogated by the Scions. You almost cost us the whole mission with your sleeping act!” his voice raising at the last part. There was confusion and hurt in Raineths eyes, she tried to explain herself to pacify him but he cut her off “No! This was the last time Raineth, you have served me well in many ways but you have out grown your usefulness to the cause.” With that he got up and nodded towards Daedhelil, who unsheathed her Scimitar and closed in on the Elven woman. Arveldir did not wait or look back as he left the room, a sharp scream sounded behind him and then silence followed him down the hallway. The Lanirem cleaned her sword, sheathed it and motioned for some guards to remove the body. Say what you would about the High Sereksant, Battledusk thought, he had the heart of a true Scorpion. THE END? Category:Stories from Erthoria